This invention relates to a sealed power supply connection for a sealed compressor canister.
Compressors are typically mounted within a sealed housing structure. The sealed housing structure receives a compressor pump unit and an electric motor for driving the compressor pump unit. Refrigerant and oil are allowed to flow within the compressor housing to perform various functions such as cooling the motor, etc. Due to this refrigerant fluid and vapor flow within the compressor housing, the housings must be fully fluid-tight.
There have been some challenges in connecting power supply connections to the compressor housing while still achieving a fluid-tight structure for the compressor housing. Typically, a series of terminal pins are mounted within a side wall of the connector. A cable has been connected to those terminal pins to supply power to the electric motor.
These connections have been deficient in several regards. First, there has not always been a fully fluid-tight connection at the connection of the connector housing.
In addition, the mount of the cable has typically been directly to the terminal pins. In this way, when the cable is removed from the connector, there has been damage to the terminal pin connections, since it is a single connector with fragile ceramic connectors.
Further, this type of connection has not been adaptable to applications where the compressor may sometimes be submerged in water.